Penza, 12 June 2016. PenzaNews. Representatives of a number of ethnic and cultural diasporas – such as Mordovian, Chuvash, Roma, Tatar, Jewish and Uzbek, Armenian and Cossack – took part in the “Penza Multinational” festival at the city youth center on Sunday, June 12.

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Due to the sudden downpour, the festival moved indoors from the square by the building.

The second floor of the building housed displays of national cuisines, presented by festival hosts in national dresses. The whole festival was friendly – members of different cultural houses eagerly socialized with each other and even organized combined performances – in particular, a membero f the Chuvash diaspora performed a well-known Roma song “Dorogoy Dlinnoyu,” accompanied by a Roma dance.

The high-ranking officials of the region and the city, such as the governor Ivan Belozertsev and the city mayor Victor Kuvaytsev, visited the festival to learn more about traditions of various cultures.

They were hailed with national dishes, dances, and songs.

The high-ranked guests visited every cultural houses and asked questions of interests to their representatives. In turn, the latter presented national gifts to the former.

In particular, Vladimir Mikhay, head of the Penza Roma diaspora, presented Ivan Belozertsev with a small horse statue, as well as a Roma head shawl for his wife: as the governor jested, the gifts were “bordering on bribery.”

The head of the region paid particular attention to the Cossack community house, where he was met by school students. The governor asked them questions about their names and progress in studies, and the children responded eagerly.

At one of the tables featured woodcrafts, Ivan Belozertsev tried his skill.

In an address to the festival participants, the head of the region stressed that Russia’s strength has always been in its unity.

“Russia is strong through its regions. If we stay together, if all ethnic diasporas live in peace, friendship, mutual understanding and support, respect each other’s cultures, national traditions and customs, we will be able to develop Russia, develop our region and our city,” Ivan Belozertsev said.

Also, during the official part, the governor presented medals “Patriot of Russia” and letters of gratitude from the head of the region to the most distinguished citizens.

The festival also featured a charity cooking competition “The Pilaf Summit” to help raise money for children with disabilities.

The during cooking summit, organized together with the charity foundation in support of family, motherhood and childhood “Pokrov,” several chefs were busy preparing pilaf at the grounds installed on the square by the youth center. All money earned during the competition will be donated to children with disabilities in the Mokshan foster home.

The cooking competition also featured a contest with jury, who sampled and chose the best pilaf.

The festival concluded with a multinational song and dance concert at the stage of the youth center.